This invention relates to laundry detergent compositions of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,681, Edwards and Diehl, issued July 1, 1975, said patent being incorporated herein by reference. The dry starches disclosed in that patent are, in general, quite dusty and difficult to handle, posing a potential dust explosion hazard, in the processing of the detergent compositions. The detergent compositions described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,854, Temple et al, issued Sept. 26, 1978, also incorporated herein by reference, utilizes water-insoluble starch which contains from about 0.01% to about 5% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble organic liquid as a means of minimizing these dust/handling problems, while simultaneously providing the fabric care benefits described in the Edwards et al patent. These compositions, however, may leave laundered fabrics with difficult to remove creases, if those fabrics are not removed from the laundry dryer promptly at the conclusion of the heated drying cycle.
By utilizing the compositions described herein, it is possible to minimize both the dustiness of the compositions described in the Edwards et al patent and the creasing properties of the compositions described in the Temple et al application, while also providing laundered fabrics with anti-wrinkling and ease-of-ironing benefits.